Chief: Code of silence led to mess, embarrassment for WPD

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Wilmington Police Chief Ralph Evangelous says what started as a response to a citizen complaint turned into an embarrassment and a mess.

Evangelous says mistakes and failures in judgement by officers during a prostitution sting last year has led to changes for his department. He says the changes were coming, but they happened officially today nearly a year after the incident he says officers tried to cover up for months.

"The code of silence in law enforcement is a misguided theory of how to protect the organization," Evangelous said during an afternoon news conference at WPD headquarters. "We are dealing with this is in this case."

Evangelous says the code of silence lasted until December when an officer with direct knowledge of what really happened during a prostitution sting last March finally came forward. It led to an internal affairs review. The department demoted two officers and suspended another in the past month as a result, the chief said. "They embarrassed us," Evangelous said he told the officers involved. "They embarrassed the organization. They embarrassed themselves." Evangelous would not name the officers, but WPD records show the department demoted Sgt. J.P. Fitzgerald to corporal last month and transferred him from Special Operations to Patrol. He is resigning effective Friday. The department suspended Sgt. William Richards for a week last month and transferred him as well. And just last week Cpl. Andy Lazzaro was demoted to officer.

A WPD spokeswoman says until today, narcotics was part of the Special Operations Division and that all three officers were part of narcotics in March 2012. Evangelous would not give many specifics about the investigation citing personnel laws. But he did admit one officer consumed too much alcohol during the undercover sting that involved advertised escorts coming to an RV.

Police cited three women in the operation, but later voided two of the tickets. The chief would not say why. He did say a video recorder used in the operation was reported lost months later and has never been found.

In all Evangelous said there were failures in procedure and a total failure in supervision, but nothing that happened was criminal. Still, he admits what happened will take a toll on the community's faith in his department. "If I have to supervise the damn thing myself, then I will, but I'm here to tell you that it's not gonna happen again," Evangelous said. "If I can't count on my staff to take care of business for me, then I'll go out and do it myself."

Evangelous said plans to move the narcotics unit to the criminal investigation division went into effect today ahead of schedule. The chief described the supervision of the operation in question as "incompetent," but he would not say who supervised the sting. We asked the chief if he will ask City Council to use a state law allowing him to release normally protected personnel information to maintain the integrity of the department. He said he'd have to talk with the city attorney first.

The WPD has always been a “good ol’ boy” fraternity for as long as I can remember. ‘Code of Silence’ is an apt title for this article. I had hoped Chief Evangelous would clean up the department and it appears he has done a good job so far. Lets give him a change to rectify what has been uncovered and set forth new policies.

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Watta Joke

2015 years 8 months ago

Now that this info is starting to come to light, maybe chief will answer about the deception shown on the polygraph by one of the officers when he was asked about the missing recorder. Maybe chief will also answer why the officers voice is heard on the other recorder talking about how the other one needed to go away.

Maybe chief will answer why the Lt. in charge of training/hiring currently has a complaint filed against her for creating a hostile work environment. The sergeant that was in that office filed a complaint and he was put out on patrol.

Maybe chief will answer why that same Lt. disregarded protocol when an applicant is found to be untruthful and is not recommended to be hired by the interview board, yet the same Lt. set up a different board because the applicant was a friend of hers.

Maybe chief will answer why that same Lt. was allowed to practice age discrimination when an officer requested to go to a school and she told him he was to old to attend when there is no age limit on the class.

Maybe chief will answer about the former sergeant that was caught falsifying his time card was only demoted yet allowed to stay on the force after committing not only a policy violation but a crime.

Maybe chief will answer about the former employees that were caught tipping off drug dealers about pending search warrants.

Do a google search on the phrase “Wilmington Police probe officers affair” and look for the scanned newspaper to get the name of the female officer that is now a Lt.

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SurfCityTom

2015 years 8 months ago

Chuck Norris do a movie “Code of Silence”? Maybe they could do a sequel in Wilmington. Set it up properly, there would be all of the tax incentives as well as EB-5 foriegn investor money.

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Wilmington Observer

2015 years 8 months ago

I have the upmost respect and admiration for Chief Evangelous and the manner in which he leads the WPD. He seems to be a soft spoken, highly educated man with high moral convictions. Though I do not work for him, I have learned, from those who do, he has high expectations for his officers and is quick to recognize those officers who, consistently, preform as expected. When unfortunate situations, such as this, arise he seems to be just as fair and just in his actions. The head of any law enforcement agency will certainly never be able to lead without some segment of society being unhappy. Chief Evangelous dealt with this issue in a manner which will prevent future repetition. The agency, and the public which it serves, can continue on knowing that the best man, for the job, is keeping watch over those sworn to keep watch over us.